Hill Farmstead Brewer - Society and Solitude #6

About Society and Solitude #6, the most recent of their D/IPA "philosophical" series, Hill Farmstead simply says: "Imperial Pale Ale brewed almost exclusively with Mosaic hops from the Pacific Northwest. 8% abv"

This was also received and tasted back in March, so sorry for not getting the official review up until now! I'm so lucky to have friends near Vermont that send me beer from this brewery, so I want to make it clear that I drink HF growlers immediately after I receive them to ensure that the beer is as fresh as possible.

Appearance: The beer pours a cloudy orange-amber, with a dense soapy head that pours to about 3-4 fingers in height and sticks around for awhile, eventually leaving webbed lacing and rings along the side of the glass.

Smell: I've been loving the recent explosion of Mosaic hop use, and they lend a ton of character to the nose here. It's dank, resinous, and herbal, but there is also a ton of juicy fruitiness -- especially tropical.

Taste: On the palate, the fruit is much more upfront. Grapefruit, orange, and mango dominate here, but there is a bit of pepper on the finish and a bit of breadiness that counteracts the acid and sweetness from the hop notes. The hops are punchy, which I like, but there is some weight behind the beer that balances it and keeps it from being too hot or astringent.

Mouthfeel: This beer is smooth on the palate and is medium bodied. The finish is moderately dry, fairly average for the style.

Overall: Another delicious DIPA from Hill Farmstead. There really isn't much left to say: I'm continually impressed by the high quality output of their beers, and how there are distinct differences in character across the IPAs in the series that make them uniquely enjoyable.

5/5

Hill Farmstead Brewery - Abner

Regarding Abner, Hill Farmstead says: "Abner (1867-1953) is our great grandfather; Hill Farmstead Brewery rests upon the land that was once home to him and his fourteen children.  In his honor, this Double IPA is dutifully crafted from American malted barley, a plethora of American hops, our ale yeast and water from Abner’s well.  It is unfiltered, naturally carbonated, and double dry hopped.  Aromatic and flowery, bursting with notes of citrus and pine, this is the ale that I dream to have shared with Abner.  8.2%, 18.5º P, 170 Theoretical ibus. Ingredients: Pale and Caramel Malt; Dextrose; Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe, and Warrior hops; Ale Yeast, and our Well Water."
 
This is a rotating release from Hill Farmstead which, as with any other HF I discuss here, was kindly sent to me by a friend who is able to take trips to the brewery.

Appearance: Most of the HF beers I've tried look very similar -- a kind of dull, muted goldenrod/straw color that is fairly opaque, with a smallish head that's a maximum of 1 finger in height. They aren't always the most inviting beers, visually, but once you taste them the appearance matters very little.

Smell: Ripe tropical aromas -- mango and pineapple -- bolstered by pine and woody resin. A hint of alcohol as the beer warms.

Taste: On the palate, this reminds me a lot of Heady Topper. There is an abundance of different flavors, ranging from the tropical and citrus fruits to spiciness and earthy wood and pine. Not a lot of sweetness from the malt, which I love, but it doesn't come across as harsh due to the perceived sweetness from some of the fruity notes.

Mouthfeel: This almost feels medium to full bodied, and a bit slick, but the finish is moderately dry, which keeps it from feeling too cloying and heavy. Overall, nice.

Overall: This is another knockout from Hill Farmstead. All of their beers are so high quality, that I feel like a broken record talking about how great they are. This one instantly become one of my favorites I've tried from them, due to the balance and complexity of flavors. As someone who loves IPAs and hoppy beers, I try a lot, and truthfully, there isn't a huge difference among a lot of them: hops tend to produce similar flavor profiles and categories of aromas and tastes. What makes the difference is sometimes a preference for certain notes and aromas, or else it's seemingly differences in craftsmanship: is the beer balanced? What varieties of hops were used, and when were they added to the boil? What kind of dry hopping? etc. Things like the order of hops added, or length of dry hopping, will make a huge difference in the flavor and aroma, and at Hill Farmstead it's plain that care is taken to maximize the potential of the hop varietals, since they're frequently using similar varietals as other brewers but producing much better beer.

5/5

Hill Farmstead Brewery - Society and Solitude #5

Hill Farmstead's concise description is:

"Our experimental Double IPA series continues.

Imperial IPA. American and New Zealand hops.  Think Grapefruit.  7.8% abv"

This was a fall 2012 brew for HF, continuing their "philosophical series" of beers. As per usual, this was a draft-only beer and I was fortunate to receive a growler from a generous friend back east.

Appearance: Society and Solitude 5 (SS5 for short) is a cloudy, dull cork color with a short head that's about 1 finger maximum in height.

Smell: There are strong aromas of mango and especially grapefruit, with a background hint of grass and biscuit.

Taste: Much like on the nose, the taste is rich in tropical fruits and grapefruit. The tropical notes are primarily pineapple and mango again. There is also a bit of green grape in the background that seems to assist the grapefruit in lending a bit of acidity to the sweet fruit flavors.

Mouthfeel: Pretty standard for a D/IPA -- medium bodied, juicy, with prickly carbonation.

Overall: This is a good double IPA (all of HF's DIPAs are,) but actually not my favorite from them. I'm not sure what it is about this one in particular, but it didn't blow me away as some of their others have; for instance, SS4 is a standout beer, and I also deeply enjoyed both SS3 and Double Citra. Perhaps they really shine when they use local hops, and some of the hops used here were imported? I don't know. I'll give them this, though -- if this is an "average" beer for HF, they still outperform most other breweries around the country.

4/5

Hill Farmstead Brewery - E.

E is "a funky version of Edward (american pale ale) - fermented with brettanomyces, dry hopped with galaxy, and aged on stainless for four months. Basically, we refer to it as a farmhouse pale ale - a cross between a saison and an american pale."

This beer is a 7% ABV limited release from Hill Farmstead that was available in bottles. Despite brett-fermented beers aging well, I still wanted to take the opportunity to try this somewhat fresh, as I only have one bottle and I want to try it how the brewers intended it to taste at release. I've mentioned before, but it's worth repeating, that Hill Farmstead's distribution is basically non-existent, and their bottles are brewery-only, as far as I know. California people like myself need friends to go to the brewery for them, so it's through that connection that I was able to acquire this bottle.

Appearance: Hazy dull orange, with a spectacular head that fills up the glass instantly, takes a long while to recede, and leaves dense lacing all around the sides of the glass. Head remains as a foam layer on top of the beer all throughout drinking.

Smell: Definite huge funky brett character in the nose! Sour apple, lemon, and honey, all topped off with a huge whiff of sweat and sourdough. There is a hint of bitterness from the hops, remnants of the pale ale base, but by this time that has mostly mellowed out and the fruit is predominantly mixed with barnyard.

Taste: More massive funk atop citrus and grassy earth character. The hops are more prevalent in the taste, but the brett has worked some absolute magic here as well. This is labeled "Rustic Farmhouse Ale" on the bottle, and that's exactly what this tastes like -- eating an orange or apple, laying in a bale of hay, covered with a horse blanket.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, with that characteristic dry brett finish. Delicious.

Overall: A really excellent saison-ish beer from Hill Farmstead. I love every aspect of it; it's juicy and flavorful, with an inviting aroma, and a great, refreshing mouthfeel. I don't really know how often this is brewed and/or bottled, but I'd love another chance to get some of this one day!

5/5

Hill Farmstead Brewery - Society and Solitude #4

Hill Farmstead says: "Our experimental Double IPA experience continues. Hybrid Imperial IPA... Think Double Citra Meets Double Galaxy. 8% abv"

This is my second and last Hill Farmstead brew from a recent acquisition, and like all of their beers, it's extremely limited in quantity and availability. Further, I am not sure what the status is with these "Society and Solitude" batches, whether they are one-offs or experiments that they may repeat at a later date. As I'll get to in my review, I really hope they make this again, because it's amazing!

Appearance: Hazy bright orange with a creamy head that tops out at about two fingers in height. The head leaves web-like lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Crisp grapefruit and mango, a touch of sweet grass, very slight notes of caramel, and a touch of clean hop bitterness and floral aroma.

Taste: Bright, juicy citrus and sweet earthy character over a solid malt backbone. Flavors of tangerine and pineapple are at the forefront, with some mango contributing a sweetness that is not sticky or overwhelming. The earthy and floral notes come through toward the back end of the palate to provide balance to the fruity sweet character.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and creamy but not slick or oily. The carbonation level on this feels just right. Dry, but not extra dry finish.

Overall: This was really great. I think I prefer it to the Double Citra that I had most recently. It is a bit more balanced, and the bitterness at the end is much less medicinal or astringent tasting. There is a wonderful range of hop characteristics present here. I wish I had gotten more of this, since I am not sure if it is going to be brewed again, but I feel fortunate to be able to have tried it while it was available.

5/5

Hill Farmstead Brewery - Double Citra

Hill Farmstead's website says: "An American Imperial Pale Ale bittered, flavored, and dry hopped exclusively with Citra hops from the American Pacific Northwest. 8% abv."

I've talked a little about about Hill Farmstead before; it's the teeny brewery in rural Vermont that produces fantastic, sought-after beer. I have in hand today their Double Citra, a beer of theirs I've been dying to try. Kern River Brewing Company's Citra DIPA is my favorite beer, and as a fan of Hill Farmstead's offerings and respect for their small, quality-focused operation, I have been anxious to taste their version of a citra-hopped DIPA. 

Appearance: Hazy golden orange, with a dense 1-finger foamy head that leaves tight rings of lacing around the sides of the glass.


Smell: Ah, citra -- bright orange/tangerine and grapefruit, with some tropical mango notes. A bit of "dankness" and resiny pine come through at the back end. It's all bright, fresh fruit with a bit of solid earth underneath, crisp and lovely.


Taste: It tastes like how it smells, which is fantastic. The bright citrus and tropical fruits are there, and there is a little bit of grain on the finish. There is also a bit of residual hop bitterness that, when combined with the warmth from the alcohol, does result in a tad of astringency, particularly as the beer warms. It's not unpleasant, but it's there. 


Moutfeel: The beer has some nice weight to it on the tongue, and a bit of perceived oiliness from the hops, but it still finishes relatively dry. I've mentioned before that I like that dry finish in my IPAs, so for me, this is great.


Overall: This was a really fantastic beer, and as an avowed disciple of citra hops I was probably bound to love it. Since I implied a comparison with Kern's Citra, I think I do have to give the edge still to Kern. This is for two reasons: 
1) This might be entirely my perception, but I think Kern's Citra is a bit more balanced than the Double Citra I'm drinking today. Though the taste of the malt backbone isn't perceptible, the sharp bitterness of the hops and the aforementioned astringency don't really occur on the palate in Kern's brew as they do here. 
2) Homerism 
Direct comparisons aside, this is still an excellent beer, and one I will go out of my way to get again.


4.5/5

Hill Farmstead Brewery - Society and Solitude #3

Remember this tiny brewery? This is my second lucky-to-have-it growler from the back woods of Vermont. S&S#3 is a double IPA at 8%, which Hill Farmstead says is hopped with lots of Columbus. And it's seriously delicious. Can I just say -- I've been on a real streak of trying GREAT beers later? I know, I know. I deserve all of your pity.

Appearance: It's very similar looking to their pale ale that I reviewed a week ago (linked above, or just scroll down.) It's perhaps a little deeper in hue, but the qualities of the head and color are more or less the same.

Smell: Orange, pineapple, and grapefruit -- all huge. There is a bit of a floral/herbal smell as well, but it's mostly a big, pleasing punch of citrus.

Taste: Juicy grapefruit is upfront, with some orange rind/zest. Slight herbal note again, but mostly big and fruity. There is a bit of sweetness, but the hops really shine and the malt backbone is present only as a foundation to bolster the powerful hop flavors.

Mouthfeel: A bit oily and medium bodied, but it finishes fairly dry. The dry finish helps out against the slickness -- not bad.

Overall: A great DIPA. I'd be happy to drink this any time. It holds up pretty well against some of my favorites, but doesn't quite break into the top echelon for me. That still puts it well within the top 15% of beers I've tasted and/or reviewed on this blog though! It's really, really good, and the flavors keep developing as the beer warms. I'm definitely enjoying this one tonight!

4.5/5

Hill Farmstead Brewery - What is Enlightenment?

Hill Farmstead says: "American Pale Ale brewed in honor of our Second Anniversary. Simcoe and Amarillo hops.   5.4% abv"

This is a fun one today! Hill Farmstead Brewery is located in the Middle of Nowhere, Vermont. Check it out:

Their bottles are only available for sale at the brewery, and they do distribute some of their kegs, but it all stays very local. Somehow, by word of mouth, beer geeks across the country have heard about their high quality beers, and they've become very sought after. Basically, you have to be lucky enough to know someone who is willing to make brewery runs for you to try this beer. Today, I am considered lucky, because I have two 750ml growlers in my fridge, and I'm reviewing one of them today!

Appearance: The color of chamomile tea. Almost a slight greenish hue in person. Smallish head with not too much retention or lacing, and cloudy. 

Smell: Such a great nose on this -- orange and orange rind, with more floral hop character, sweet malt, and a touch of grass.

Taste: Great balance and complexity! I taste citrus again, and grassy earth, biscuit, and sweet bread. The malt backbone is perceptible here not by a huge contribution of flavor, but by removing any residual bitterness left from the hops.

Mouthfeel: Viscous and slightly chewy, but with a remarkable dry finish. Love that! Full in the mouth, but not heavy or overbearing. It works really well with the subtle flavors on the palate by contributing richness in the body.

Overall: This was definitely crafted with love, and that care is evident in the subtle flavors and balance. Simcoe and Amarillo can be potent hops, but the brewers have managed to tease out their flavors without the beer being too bitter or overwhelmingly hoppy. For a pale ale, this is the right approach. Very well done, and very tasty.


4.5/5